


Punch my face (do it 'cause I like the pain)

by thatsabitgay



Series: i dreamed this [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Everyone Loves Neil Josten, Holding Hands, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Protective Andrew Minyard, Protective Neil Josten, Soft Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:53:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsabitgay/pseuds/thatsabitgay
Summary: One minute, Neil was beside Nicky, and the next he was on the floor, on top of Jack and throwing the punch.--Or - One of the new freshman shoots a homophobic comment at Nicky and Neil is having none of it(Neil was always good at starting fights but never good at finishing them)
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: i dreamed this [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728424
Comments: 6
Kudos: 439





	Punch my face (do it 'cause I like the pain)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Alec Benjamin 'Boy in the bubble'

Maybe Neil was just in a really bad mood and that's why it happened. But that didn't quite make sense, seeing as he'd woken up that morning with Andrew's arm slung over him, and barely even been pushed away when the smaller of the two stirred not long later. They'd even shared one of their more intense kisses in the car before Andrew had left for his session with Dr Dobson. 

So there wasn't a possibility that Neil was in any way upset or angry. 

Yet, it was barely fifteen minutes into practice when he lashed out.

It wasn't usual that he ran laps with Nicky, since he was much faster, but he found himself bound as Nicky rambled on about whatever it was he rambled on about. Probably, Erik. 

They were on their final lap, and must have slowed as Jack, one of the new freshman, caught up to them. With a twist of a sneer on his face, the boy glared at Nicky as he pushed forward. "Is that all you can do, fag?"

One minute, Neil was beside Nicky, and the next he was on the floor, on top of Jack and throwing the punch. He only managed to get one in before Jack got over his surprise and got a few jabs in himself until he was pulled from Neil by Matt, another set of hands yanking Neil to his feet. 

Immediately, Neil went for another go, but Allison grabbed him again. "Hey!" She yelled, "Nobody bet on a second round!"

He was pushed behind Allison as she stepped forward to shove Jack, despite not knowing what had happened. Matt dropped him to the floor, leaving him at her mercy.

"Shit, Neil you're bleeding." He worried, going to touch him, then hesitating, before remembering that Andrew wasn't here, and proceeding to grip his shoulder. "Come on, let's go to Abby."

Neil could feel the others watching as they made his way across the court, the blood now clearer as it seemed to flow from his nose despite his hand covering the lower third of his face. He ignored them though, and for once, no one asked any questions.

Matt walked him all the way to the locker room, before Wymack sent him back to the court.

"Do you have to cause trouble this early in the morning?" Wymack grunted, but all he earned was an unamused stare as more blood escaped through his fingers. "I'll take that as a yes." He concluded, before leading the rest of the way.

Abby was as concerned as ever as she sat him down on the medical bed and ushered Coach from the room. "Head down, not up." She ordered, with a kind smile, "You want it out, not in."

Neil did as he was told and removed his hand as Abby replaced it with tissues. It took longer than Neil had expected for the blood to stop, and then Abby was wiping away the dried remains. 

"Were you hurt anywhere else?" Abby asked, not assuming that this was just a ball to the face. After all, exy was violent and so were the foxes.

Neil tried to think around the pulsing of his injured nose (not broken, just busted) to distinguish any other pain. "My hand," he winced, "And my chin."

Abby looked at the chin first, where Jack had managed to hook him, not only bruising his jaw, but also cutting his lip with the ring he always wore on his middle finger. They hadn't noticed it before through the nose bleed, but it was only small. Neil watched as she retrieved two ice packs, breaking them in. She placed them at his side and picked up his right hand.

The knuckles would only be bruised, so she passed him one of the ice packs to hold on to it. Then she took the other ice pack to his lip.

It was silent then, which Neil found uncomfortable when it wasn't with Andrew. 

After a few minutes, Abby moved it to his jaw. "How are you feeling about this season?" She questioned, clearly trying to ease Neil's discomfort.

Neil smiled at this (he'd become adjusted to Abby after many injuries and therefore time spent together) and began to explain some of his ideas for the upcoming game.

\--

Andrew didn't rush to enter the foxhole court. Instead, he had two cigarettes leant upon his car, ate a packet of gummy worms and then stalled his walk inside. 

He didn't change straight away either, instead walking through the locker room and towards the source of the echoing noise.

Wymack was stood in front of the bench, tense as he watched the team through the plexiglass. Andrew glanced inside, but not because of interest in the game.

Andrew could see why Wymack was so tense now. Kevin was yelling at Jack, the current scrimmage halted as the rest of the foxes watched. Usually, someone would have stepped in on one of Kevin's rants by now, but even Dan wasn't bothering to get involved.

Andrew's eyes traced over the rest of the foxes, searching for number ten. Not that he needed the number as he could recognise Neil's figure anywhere.

Scowling, Andrew counted heads. "Where is he?"

Wymack's shock at Andrew's prescense would have been comical if Andrew's stomach hadn't began to fill with unwanted unease. "Neil's with Abby." He replied gruffly.

He didn't wait for an explanation, already heading back the way he came until he reached the medical room. The door was closed, but he didn't bother to knock.

Abby quickly turned as the door slammed open, but Neil's eyes just coolly slid from the wall to Andrew. Then, the idiot had the audacity to smile. "Hey." He greeted.

Andrew closed the distance between them, holding out his hand to Abby, who rarely tried to argue anymore. Without fuss, she removed the ice pack from Neil's jaw and passed it to Andrew. "Alternate it from his jaw, to his lip, to his nose." She spoke, before leaving the two of them and closing the door.

Neil was looking back at his hand now, where another ice pack was pressed, so Andrew took the opportunity to assess the damage.

His nose was darkening either side of the bridge, and there was a small smudge of red below it indicating that it must have bled. His bottom lip was beginning swell and there was a small cut to the right. On that same side, there was a bruise beginning to form at the bend of his chin.

Neil moved his legs outwards (his feet were hanging, not reaching the floor by at least an inch) so Andrew moved close between them, pressing the ice pack to his jaw, ignoring the wince.

"How many times have I got to tell you to stop starting fights?" Andrew questioned, looking at Neil's eyes just as they flickered to look back at him.

He smirked, "Who said I started it?"

"The bruises on your hand."

Neil shrugged, "Just because I threw the first punch doesn't mean I started it."

Andrew pressed the ice harder against his face in spite. "What happened?"

The smile slipped from his face, and Andrew hated himself for wanting to put it back.

"Jack was being an asshole, as usual. Said shit to Nicky."

"What kind of shit?" 

Neil rolled his eyes irritably. "Does it matter?"

Andrew moved the ice pack to one side of his nose, causing Neil's eyes to flutter closed to avoid being poked by the corner of it. "It does when you come out of the fight looking like this."

"I'm fine." Neil assured, so Andrew put the pack on his mouth.

"Shut up."

Neil opened his eyes just to roll them in full effect, before muttering something against the plastic, sending vibrations to Andrew's hand that he could have done without.

"What?" Andrew glared, moving it to the previously neglected side of Neil's nose.

He grinned. "I feel better now."

"You're not playing right now. Not that there's much playing right now, anyway. The foxes are having a domestic."

Neil grimaced and looked back at Andrew. "Let's just go home then," he shrugged.

Andrew took the ice pack from his face before pressing two fingers on the side of his nose. "That's ugly."

"Thanks." Neil grinned. "Are we going?"

"Whatever," Andrew replied, before moving his hand to Neil's mouth. He pressed his thumb firmly against the injury and calculated how much Neil reacted. He winced, before trying to cover it up. "That's inconvenient." Andrew decided, removing his hand and stepping out of Neil's space so he could stand.

"Are you going to stab Jack today?"

"Are you going to stop me?" Andrew replied, before slipping his hand in Neil's and intertwining their fingers, ignoring the searching look Neil gave him in return.

Perhaps if Jack saw what was going on between Neil and Andrew, he'd keep both his comments and his fists to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Instagram:
> 
> @foxesoncrack (aftg text story)  
> @snowbazstories
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Kudos and comments are appreciated!
> 
> Check out the rest of my works ;)


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